The Ledger security team discovered an Android vulnerability that can extract cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases in 45 seconds

According to The Block, Ledger's security research team Donjon has discovered a vulnerability in the secure boot chain of MediaTek processors, allowing attackers to extract encryption keys via USB connection before the operating system loads, provided they have physical access to the phone. This could enable them to decrypt device storage and obtain the device PIN code and encrypted wallet mnemonic within approximately 45 seconds.

In proof-of-concept tests, the vulnerability successfully extracted sensitive data from wallet applications such as Trust Wallet, Kraken Wallet, and Phantom. Researchers indicate that this vulnerability may affect about 25% of Android phones, involving models that use MediaTek chips and Trustonic's Trusted Execution Environment. Ledger's Chief Technology Officer Charles Guillemet stated that smartphones were never designed to be vaults. Although the vulnerability can be patched, it highlights the inherent risks of storing keys on non-secure devices, and users are advised to update security patches as soon as possible.

According to data from TRM Labs, over 80% of the $2.1 billion in stolen crypto assets in the first half of 2025 stemmed from infrastructure attacks such as private key theft, mnemonic theft, and front-end hijacking. Chainalysis data shows that losses from crypto asset theft exceeded $3.41 billion in 2024, with the proportion of stolen personal wallets rising from 7.3% in 2022 to 44% in 2024.